so if you're an narcoleptic-attention-deficit-disordered-jet-lagged military brat who experiences more than your fair share of senior's moments, this is the drug for you.
but what if you're not? what if, instead, you are a starving law student who works full time to keep your ass off the streets, with the rest of your time dedicated to studying and taking care of your sick mother? what if you only get three hours of sleep a night thanks to all that law homework and your boss hates you and asks you to come in for extra shifts and your mom has to be rushed to the hospital on a weekly basis?
well this is where modafinil gets nifty. that is, if used properly. with modafinil, you can stay awake for hours, days without your eyelids drooping on you. rough times become not so rough, and it's a heckuva lot healthier than crack cocaine. while quite similar to other stimulants like cocaine, amphetamines or ritalin, modafinil shares few side effects with these drugs, and there is not much of an addiction factor at work here. because i'd probably bore you to death by detailing the mechanism of action, i won't! the geeks can read all about it here. the point i'm trying to make is that when used in moderation, modafinil can definitely be used off-label to take the edge off a workaholic lifestyle.
(as far as how to obtain modafinil without a prescription, that's up to your own google-fu... i'm not trying to advertise illegal activities here whatsoever, this is all theory so please don't sue my ass kthxbi).
but where do we draw the line? there are few side effects with taking modafinil, why not take it all the time and forget about sleep?
now here's a bitchslap: modafinil does not replace sleep. got it? good! this is what abusers forget over time. huh. how convenient. as far as our pharmaceutical research shows, there is nothing on this earth that can replace this awesome brain and body replenishing activity. sleep is essential to our wellbeing, and like an attention-whore-girlfriend it will nag you to death if you ignore it.
as it stands, i would love to try modafinil... if i could legally get my hands on it. i'm going to be a busy bee queen this fall and just thinking about it stresses me out. but having talked to smart drug users, i know this much: yeah sure, you are focused to the max for a day or two straight. after that? you do crash. not as badly as a normal comedown, but you are fairly burnt out. so be careful. and safe smart drug using!
